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Chapter Forty: A Desert Night
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ilyria knew that she should not sleep. So she picked at dinner, conscious of not eating so much that she would grow drowsy. Her belly growled in complaint but after carefully positioning the bag with the cloud silks and the kitten over her shoulder, she decided to go looking for the merchant. The other travellers were rolling out bedding on the cooling desert sands, keeping close to the fire. The kindly, hairy man who had alerted her to her moving bag was sprinkling a glowing blue dust around the bedding of his a pair of tussling small boys while a woman Ilyria assumed to be his wife looked on with sad, tired eyes. The blue dust glittered in the desert dusk. He saw her looking.
“It is Zaraqi dust,” he said, “It will keep away most things that bite.” He grinned and held out the bag to her, “Here, there is a little left.”
She hesitated, not wanting to take advantage of the man’s kindness but his wife nodded once at her and gave her a smile that was about as ti
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Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Two: Water
“Wait,” said Suluu, stopping. Ilyria groaned inwardly. He had changed his mind. She was already thinking she should ask him to at least leave her with some provisions. Though terror crept up on her at the thought of a long day of walking to nowhere. “Yes?” she said, trying to keep her voice from betraying her fear. “Which way do you want to head?” asked Suluu. He looked at Ilyria with genuine confusion as she burst out laughing. Mostly at herself but then also at his expression. She was relieved that he had stopped only to ask what direction they should be heading toward but she felt stupid for missing the obvious. They had simply set off without knowing where. She turned in a circle. She was going to say toward the horizon but then she realized how ridiculous that sounded because it was all horizon. “Everything that sets in the East, will rise each day anew in the West,” she recited softly. Her education since her father had died had consisted of things she consider
Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Three: Utzed
Ilyria watched the sky darken from the safe haven of the oasis. Fierce emerged from behind a tree with a small gecko in her mouth, then lay beside Ilyria crunching happily. Ilyria stroked her, trying to understand what could have happened. Would he have just left her? Maybe. You fool, she berated herself, you hardly knew him at all and you just gave yourself to him. Yet, even so, even with Suluu gone, even without a supper to look forward to and no place to go, even so she smiled at the memory of the water and his body and his mouth. When it was full dark she knew she could not put it off any longer. She stood, gathering Fierce up and settling the little cat in her bag. She put on her sandals then scooped water into her mouth, regretting that she had not thought to include a canteen in Fierce’s bag. Though she didn’t think the cloud silks would have tolerated it. It was a whole other world in that bag now. It made her miss Miasma with a deep ache. What had Miasma sai
Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Four: Siren Song
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Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Five: A Strange Box
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Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Six: Derha
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Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Seven: Zlo and the Queen
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Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Forty-Eight: Little Time
The shield around them wavered as conflicting emotions ran through Ilyria. Astrapi felt like home to her and that made no sense. She was angry with him because she could not trust him and that did make sense. But then she was also confused because she was the only who seemed to think there was anything trustworthy or even worthwhile in him. The shield faded and blinked but stayed in place. Madame Skia, with her sister’s body still in her arms looked up at Ilyria. “No, Ilyria,” she said, “I beg of you. Do not trust him. Listen to me. He is Zlo’s twin.” Astrapi stood before the shield but seemed not to be able to see beyond it. As it wavered, he leaned closer, as though he knew something was there. He reached out and touched it, then grimaced in pain and quickly withdrew his hand. Ilyria concentrated and the shield glowed once more, steady. But she was growing tired and without the queen to help, she and Madame Skia would not be able to hold it for long.
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Ilyria woke to the smell of warm bread and blossoming plants, and another damp salty smell she could not recognize. She sighed and turned over. Her eyes flickered half-open as she felt Suluu’s warm body lying on his back next to her. Her hand lazily traced the contours of his smooth chest, delighting in the way his skin puckered beneath her fingers. He turned to look at her, his lips parted in a smile and his eyes hooded with his desire. “Hello,” he murmured, pulling her toward him, “You’re awake.” “I am,” she said, tracing her fingers over his lips. Then her stomach rumbled noisily, “and I am so, so, so, so hungry!” She sat up trying to recall when last she had eaten and suddenly a rush of images flooded over her. She sank her face into her hands. Astrapi, impaled. The Princess and Zlo’s blood dripping from the spines of The Shackled One. Madame Skia’s wounded body lying shrouded by the shimmering moon dust. The monster’s final moments. She looked up
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Ilyria and the Lightning Bird Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Palace
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